Welcome to the Consumerist Archives

Thanks for visiting Consumerist.com. As of October 2017, Consumerist is no longer producing new content, but feel free to browse through our archives. Here you can find 12 years worth of articles on everything from how to avoid dodgy scams to writing an effective complaint letter. Check out some of our greatest hits below, explore the categories listed on the left-hand side of the page, or head to CR.org for ratings, reviews, and consumer news.

all’s well that ends well

Remember Tony? He’s the guy who was waiting around for a package to be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, only to find that the online tracking said a carrier had attempted to deliver it while he was out briefly — an event that video from his home security system proved never happened. While it’s still unclear what exactly led to the contradicting tracking info — something many, many of our readers have said they’ve experienced — there’s a happy ending in this case at least: Tony says the new postmaster in charge of his local office showed up on Wednesday to personally apologize to him for the mix-up. [More]

Though from the consumer perspective having more choices is always a good thing, businesses don’t particularly like it when competitors move in on what they see as their turf. So went the ballad of a local Dunkin’ Donuts and its BBQ restaurant neighbor, where the two businesses found themselves at odds over who was allowed to serve breakfast in the shopping center. [More]

Back in November of last year, the toy company GoldiBlox found itself with a hit commercial on its hands, showing little girls learning the joys of engineering while playing. The only problem? The ad used a parody of the Beastie Boys’ hit “Girls,” prompting GoldieBlox to preemptively sue the band, lest it sue for copyright infringement. After getting countersued by the Beastie Boys, the toymakers have decided to settle the suit. [More]

Passengers likely had a bit of a scare yesterday, after their Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles was diverted to Phoenix instead of its Austin destination. The FBI said Monday that the flight had to change course after a “telephonic bomb threat was made.” That’s official speak for “someone called and said a bomb was on the plane.” However, no bombs or explosives have been found on the plane, authorities say. So, whew. [More]

Losing your stuff because you can’t really exactly very much remember the night before is a big old bummer. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, a good Samaritan swans in to help return your lost items. And in one case, that Samaritan happens to have a penchant for hiding lost property and leaving scavenger hunt-like instructions as to how to collect it. [More]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is shutting the books on its recent safety investigation into Chevrolet Volt battery packs when a few erupted into flames after crash tests. The verdict: Chevy Volts are just as likely to explode as any other cars. [More]

Part of

Founded in 2005, Consumerist® is an independent source of consumer news and information published by Consumer Reports.